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Zoren wanted to go back home...or at least be able to go hide out in the music room. Schooling wasn't their favorite, and it was filled with so many unfamiliar faces and students. He hadn't wanted to go alone...Nova was too big for the freshling classes. So that meant the small Baphomet was on their own. At least she'd walked them to class..before rushing off to go find her friend Wynre. Zoren hadn't wanted to say goodbye to their sister...why couldn't she come to class like usual with them? Frowning the darkly colored Baphomet reluctantly glanced at the classroom...before slipping inside.

Everyone mostly already had a seat or were actively chattering away from other students. Zoren felt their throat tighten, looking back the way they came as if they'd bolt. Their blue eyes peered around the room, their heartbeat was going a thousand miles a minute. The teacher had to walk to the child...gently placing a hand on their bright head of pink hair, and lead them to a spot to sit as they seemed stuck in place, and unable to figure out what they wanted to do.

"Alright, class...today we are going over spelling words! I have assigned you, partners, everyone finds their papers I left on the table." The taller woman smiled, guiding Zoren over to whom they'd been assigned to. Zoren looked up with wide, pleading eyes before reluctantly standing still where the teacher guided them to. Fidgeting they rubbed their arm and looked down at their feet.

Eryusa picked up his bag again and checked that everything was in there. The problem with being the youngest out of eight kids is that everyone worried about you. However, he was just as a capable as them if only a bit younger or well a lot younger in some cases. So he didn't want any mistakes they could use to baby him. To tell the truth, they did understand his need to be as mature as him, but he still felt bad. Still, there would be time to get lost in thought later. Right now he had to hurry to his seat. He liked a certain one and of course, without a seating chart, everyone just converged where ever.

Eventually class started and the teacher gave out their assignment for the day. Ugh, unfortunately, it was one of those days that the teacher assigned a partner, so he couldn't just partner up with his sister acacia. Still, it was a chance to be social and truthfully he didn't really mind as long as the partner carried their own weight or at least tried.

When the teacher sat his partner down in front of him, he resisted the urge to frown. It wasn't as if he wasn't used to shy people after all Mielle could be shy and Arinas supposedly had been extremely shy as a Freshling even if that was hard to believe now.

"Guess that means we are partners. I'm Eryusa" he commented with a cheerful smile. Gotta look positive after all.

Zoren could do this, they kept reminding themselves as such repeatedly in their mind. Exhaling slowly the small child decided that sulking and being upset wasn't going to fix anything. Taking a deep breath, they lifted their chin up. The worst they did was not try at all, and that wasn't fair to the other kid he was paired up with. Would it really be a problem? Zoren didn't know, but he would try and see what came of the arrangement. Their small tail began to wiggle, a smile forming on the others face as they greeted 'em with a cheerful smile and introduced himself. It put Zoren at ease. "I'm sorry you have to be my partner if you don't want to be...but thank you as well.." They began, looking at the other as they blinked curiously.

"Y..yeah I think so! Um. I'm Zoren. It's a pleasure Eryusa." They offered in reply, a smile finally brightening up the others nervous expression. Their tail even began to wag, wondering if maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Relaxing gradually, they fished out a notebook and pencil pouch. Glancing at the other...Zoren offered one of their pencils encase the other needed one.

"I know a lot of spelling words...s..so...I think we cat done fast so we can go outside and play.." The teacher had mentioned extra time meant free time. Looking to the other, they offered a tentative, albeit bright-eyed smile.

“Don’t know you well enough to say whether I want to or not but then again that’s part of getting partnered up. You get to find out” Eryusa replied not one to really honey coat things. He liked being somewhat realistic. “So let’s find out shall we?” Truthfully by the time he had gotten old enough all of his siblings had grown out of the skittish stage and into the stage they were defining themselves more but he had dealt with skittish familiars. Of course, that was unfair to Zoren. They already looked uncomfortable enough Eryusa didn’t need comments in his head to make the situation worse. He could do this. After all, he had gotten Zoren to smile, that had to be a start right?

“I’m also pretty good at spelling so between the two of us I think we really will get this done in record time, but if the words stump us for a while that’s fine for me as well as long as we get it down in the end too” Eryusa added still giving Zoren that smile. After all, he didn’t want to put much pressure on his partner that came a little later when Eryusa knew they could handle the push. He did, however, take a pencil as he often just carried pens and in spelling, it was nice to be able to erase.

“Thanks for the pencil, I often only just carry pens or charcoal pencils and those really aren't good for filling in spelling sheets” Eryusa pointed out.

Zoren was going to say something more, but the other's retort gave the boy paused. The Baphomet wasn't really sure how to respond to that. The other was so forward and did not sugar coat anything. Momentarily taken aback, the other blinked a few times to decide what to make of the other. The other made sense of course. "T..true! I suppose we will find out in no time, one way or another." Even if it was good or bad...he would just have to find out like the other said. Sighing softly, the younger smiled a tad sheepishly, glad their dark features made it hard to tell when they blushed or were flustered. Their little tail began wagging as they nodded in agreement. Even if it wasn't much to the other...Eryusa had put him at ease.

Listening to the other, Zoren leaned in and studied the worksheet. Holding their face up with a palm pressed against their cheek, the Baphomet squinted at the scrambled up word, trying to make sense of it. Chewing on their bottom lip thoughtfully Zoren tilted their head. Figured it out, Zoren let the other have a crack at the next scrambled word, and a chance to practice writing as the assignment called for.

"I like carrying extra...not everyone gives them back...but that's okay." The other looked curious. "Pens and charcoal...do you like art?" The Baphomet asked curiously...nibbling at the sleeve of their sweat in contemplation.

Ah maybe he had come on a bit too blunt, but he didn’t try to sugar coat his words most of the time. Maybe he had gone a bit too far. Eryusa looked like he was about to apologize when the other seemed to perk up again and Eryusa kept that nice smile up, although not so charming as he started out with least his cheeks start to hurt.

“Truthfully I don’t think I’ll mind. After all, you seem to want to do your work and actually partner off with me” Eryusa added a bit softer this time. “Anyways to the assignment least I accidentally say something again to throw us off?” He looked at one of the words as well and was pretty sure he knew what it was but as he got to thinking on it more he started second-guessing himself and started twirling the pencil around his fingers. It was a nervous habit he sometimes did when he couldn’t chew on the writing instrument.

“I tend to like painting more than drawing but charcoal and pens are easier to carry around. Plus drawing makes my fey dad happy. Of course, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t want to either” Eryusa added in. People tended to give him grief sometimes that he had started something to make a parent happy. Truthfully Eryusa had picked it up so that he could have something to talk to his dad Morginn about that didn’t involve fashion and said father trying to dress him up. “Wait they don’t give them back? Well that’s kind of rude of them, I mean it is a pencil but it’s still your pencil you let them borrow” Eryusa shook his head at some people…. Seriously.

Zoren actually appreciated how direct they were...the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was actually a bit like a breath of fresh air. The young Baphomet regarded the hybrid with consideration. For what it was worth, the other could have scowled at him and been mean...Zoren would have understood one way or another, but the fact the other was at least trying was heartwarming at least.

Tilting their head in consideration the Baphomet considered Eryusa's words. With a small nod, the other scooted a bit to settle in for the next few minutes while they worked together. Fidgetting occasionally when frustrated the other exhaled with a small sigh as they tried the next problem, brows knitting together.

Looking up while working as the other explained what they liked to do, the other looked thoughtful. "That's nice of you to share that with your Dad then." The other praised with a bright smile. "Art is so much fun but I'm bad at it." Zoren covered their mouth with a small laugh. Although the others follow-up question made them shrug with a small sigh. "I dunno, I don't usually argue... I figure they needed it." The Baphomet rubbed their neck slightly, legs swinging back and forth idly.

Before long they were quickly working through it, although at least one question looked to the other, a worried expression as they were struggling..and didn't want to disappoint their new friend.

Patiently examining the other Eryusa realized they didn't seem to be taken back she would continue being honest. It was easier than being all charming and false, not that he couldn't be charming and honest as well. Realizing he was starting to confuse himself he brought his thoughts back to the present and working on their assignment.

After agonizing over the word a bit more he finally decided to just put down the word he thought it originally was after all it had all the same letters and it really couldn't be any other word. He made a note to run it by Zoren just in case he was overthinking it and did get it wrong. After hearing the sigh he paused in twirling the pencil to smile. It seemed everyone had their own tics for when things frustrated them or they were overly concentrated in their task.

" yeah, and it's a much safer way of spending time with him. He's a budding fashion designer so he's always trying to put us in new clothes. Some of them rather lacy and frilly at times. However I still want to spend time with him," Eryusa added. "plus it doesn't matter your skill level. Everyone can learn to art if they practice, it's more if you had fun while arting that really matters. As for the pencils, well I guess but still, I hope they said thank you or appreciated the gift." Some people were just way to nice but he understood the world needed those two nice people as well.

"if you have trouble with a word it's okay? We're still freshlings so it's understandable. Can I help with a word or to listen while you work it out?" Eryusa asked when he noticed his partner was struggling. Then again maybe he was reading too much into it.

Zoren looked up, a considering look in their blue eyes as the other went about his task. He seemed to be thinking, having figured out finally what the answer was. If anything, just the fact Zoren wanted to progress through school so they could get it over with was their main motivation. The Baphomet was still working out the details of future plans and goals for themselves. Not only that, they wanted to try and make more friends...so this was a good start. Hopefully anyway. Partially distracted, it made working on the assignment somewhat more difficult.

A considering look crossed the younger face. "That makes sense..if dressing up isn't fun...then no need to. Everyone can wear all kinds of stuff course..." They shrugged with a considering nod. Zoren gave a light tap of their pencil in consideration against the desk. "I figure that too, or they really needed it." He admitted with a small laugh. Zoren knew it was likely due to being perhaps too kind but it was ok.

Exhaling the other sighed. "Thanks, yeah." They mumbled with a small flush and a thoughtful look at the paper. "I dunno. I think...I got it?" Zoren looked to the other, trusting their judgment as they demonstrated their wobbly attempt at the word. With more practice this would be easier. Pausing what they were doing, Zoren looked to Eryusa, watching, and listening to them work for a bit. It helped settle their restless nerves, allowing them to finish working on the assignment.

Finishing up his section he looked back to proofread the words. Everything looked like it fit in but spelling was always tricky. However, he felt eyes on him and wondered if he should look up. His wings fluttered a bit but it was the only indication that he gave. He was used to people staring. After all, it was probably just the other figuring out how they wanted to view Eryusa or they were just thinking in Eryusa's direction.

Zoren actually wasn't that bad and he felt bad for his brief thoughts when they were first partnered but everyone had doubts when they were assigned. " well I don't mind some of the outfits but he has to work on a lot of them and they can be overwhelming especially since a lot of my other family runs away. I don't mind showing you some of my sketchbook pieces if we get done early." Eryusa awkwardly offered.

" definitely looks like that's the word. I would put it down as the answer" Eryusa nodded looking over the word and focusing the letters in his head. Ugh he hated unscrambling things. , Ah well they had managed to survive the assignment. He gave a reassuring smile each time Zoren looked over to hopefully give a bit of encouragement. Soon enough they finished the last word.

"I think this should be good enough to turn in." Eryusa pointed out holding the paper up and smiling.